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Purpose
Caregivers, our schools, and our community are responsible for caring for the health and welfare of our youth. The Health & Safety Committee addresses health and safety issues related to the students and families. The activities of the Health & Safety Committee are designed to educate and inform caregivers about the health needs of children and how best to meet those needs. The Health & Safety Committee works to see that programs are available to meet the needs of our members.
Who
Committee works closely with School Administrators, District Health & Safety Teams, the Budget & Legislation Committee and other community organizations, such as the Garden City Community Coalition. This Committee has Committee Chairperson(s) and School Building Representatives.
Bus Safety Campaign
Don't Pass the Flash
The Garden City PTA has been working on a campaign to educate Village residents about NYS traffic laws regarding stopped school buses. District-wide, parents have witnessed an increasing number of motorists passing stopped school buses in the morning and at dismissal, which presents a grave hazard to school children boarding and exiting the buses. In response, we have produced an online quiz and a one-page bus safety flyer with informational graphics, which clarifies the law and explains the consequences for not stopping.
We encourage you to take the quiz and see how well you know the law!
Support this campaign with our "Don't Pass the Flash" car magnet. Please contact healthandsafety@gardencitypta.org if you would like a car magnet and raise awareness!
CDC Guidance
Halloween
Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween. If you may have or been exposed to COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.
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Low risk activities
These lower risk activities can be safe alternatives:
- Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
- Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
- Decorating your house, apartment, or living space
- Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance
- Having a virtual Halloween costume contest
- Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with
- Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house
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Moderate risk activities
- Participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard)
- If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the bags.
- Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart
- Attending a costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
- A costume mask (such as for Halloween) is not a substitute for a cloth mask. A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face.
- Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
- Going to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest where appropriate mask use is enforced, and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
- If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
- Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing
- Having an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends with people spaced at least 6 feet apart
- If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
- Lower your risk by following CDC’s recommendations on hosting gatherings or cook-outs.
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Higher risk activities
Avoid these higher risk activities to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19:
- Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
- Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots
- Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
- Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
- Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
- Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors
- Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19